Malacca, Malaysia

Today I'm playing the tourist here in Melaka, which has advantages and disadvantages.

One advantage is that I can carry my camera around without trying to hide it in some vain pretence of being a local. (Being one of about 10 white people in the city rather kills off that idea.)

Unfortunately, I seem to attract even more attention from the rickshaw riders - "half an hour, good price" - who would like me to listen to either loud Chinese music or Radio 2 reruns while sitting on a PVC bench being pedalled around. Sounds good, huh?

I feel rather like a panda here, which as any good encyclopedia will tell you "eats, shoots and leaves." I'll be walking along a street and look down a side street: that looks interesting... so off I go, and buy some food (or more usually, a drink) at some point while taking photos. I then return to the city centre or the hostel and fall asleep... it's not that I'm lazy you understand, but it's seriously hot and humid here.

This afternoon I shall attempt to catch a "town bus" which will undoubtedly be full, hot, smelly and dangerous (sounds just like home) and go and visit one of the more out-of-town attractions such as the zoo. The next time I update this, I shall be in Kuala Lumpur, 100 miles further north.